Battery element



Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES J'UNJ'IRO SATO, 01' HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN.

BATTERY ELEMENT.

Ho Drawing.

To all whom it my comm:

Be it known that I, JUNJIRo SATO, a subject of Japan, resident of Highland Park, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Battery Elements, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a storage battery and has for-its object to (provide-com 1- tions for the positive an negative p ates which will adhere firmly to the supporting grids at a higher degree of acidity than is feasible with compositions at present in use, whereby the strength of the electrol to used while charging may be less than t at now customarily used. By the use of the compositions herein described, the acidity may be more uniformly distributed throughout the cell and the'damage caused by the strong acid of the electrolyte now required will be obviated, thus giving the plates greater endurance under ordinary conditions of use.

The ordinary storage battery consists of two sets of electrodes, positive and negative, immersed in an electrolyte. The electrodes as ordinarily made comprise supportin grids of thin lead, the spaces being fille with pastes of various compositions which are treated with an electric current in what is known as the forming charge to produce positive and negative plates. The negative electrodes are of sponge lead, and the itive electrodes consist mainly of peroxi e of lead (PbO,). The electrolyte is dilute sulfuric acid. The positive and ne tive electrodes are arranged alternately within a cell, the plates usually bein set vertically, the adjacent plates being 0 oppositely polarity and separated from each other b msulatin means commonly consisting of t in groov Wooden or hard rubber separators. In preparing the negative plates, grids having their spaces filled with litharge (PbO) are connected as cathodes with lead sheets as anodes in a bath of dilute surfuric acid, and current is passed through the cell. Hydrogen set free on passage of the current reduces the litharge to spongy metallic lead which is porous and which should be firmly adherent to the supporting grid of lead.

The positive plates consist of similar grids in which the paste primarily consists of red lead (Pb,O,) with a smaller rcenta e of litharge. These are connecte as cat odes with plates of sheet lead as anodes, and when Application filed Kay 10, 1923. Serial No. 638,101.

current is passed through the grou immersed in dilute surfuric acid, the re lead on the positive plates is changed to lead peroxide '(PbO,).

In forming the plastes it is desirable to use a substance whic will cause the powdered material to harden or set and surfuric acid has this property, but if used in too great concentration, difliculty is found in causing the paste to adhere to the grid. Substances are sometimes added to increase the poroslt of the active material, such a substance ing pulverized pumice stone and for the purpose of increasing the conductivity of the resulting active material,

ulverized carbon usuall in the form of amp black may be adde to the paste used in negative plates. In addition to these materials which have hitherto been used, I have found that if asbestos fiber in suitable roportion is added to the active material; it will act as a cement to bind them together and to retard their disinte tion in use. Furthermore, when asbestos orms a art of the composition the strength of the acid used to mix the paste may be increased without loss of adhesion so that the dried paste may be made of a higher acidity than has hitherto been considered feasible.

As a further means of preventing loosening of the paste from the 'd, I have found that a coating formed by ipping the asted lates in a suspension of fine as stos in water, will act as a cementitious surface layer which will greatly prolong the durability of the plates.

The method which I consider best in the preparation of plates is as follows For the positive plates, eighty parts of red lead are mixed with fourteen parts of litharge, a suflicient quantity of sulfuric acid of sp. gr. 1.224 being added to form a suitable paste which is thoroughly mixed. To this mixture is added six parts of asbestos, the

asbestos being thoroughly blended with the previous mixture and the composition then bein applied to the grids with rubber rolls whic compress the material within the interstices. The addition of one part of lamp black will give a somewhat softer mixture and the conductivity of the resulting active material will be slightl increased.

After pasting, the p ates are allowed to dry in the air for twenty-four hours. A liquid suspension of four parts of fine asbestos and six parts of water is prepared as a coating composition. The dried plates are dipped into sulfuric acid of sp. gr- 1.150 and then dip ed into the asbestos sus nsion which will adhere to the surface of t e late in a thin layer. The plates are than air ried for twenty-four hours, then again dip d into sulfuric acid of sp. gr. 1.125 and t en heated for fort -eight hours at 175 F. The plates are t en ready for the forming charge, a current of about three amperes being used with the plates in an acid solution of sp. gr. 1.125.

The negative plates will be repared by making a mixture of eighty-eig t tomnety parts of litharge with, seven parts of lamp black, suflicient sulfuric acid of sp. gr. 1.150 being added to'form a suitable paste. After thoroughl mixin the lithargeand lamp black wit the acid, three to five parts of asbestos are added and blended with the previous mixture. The paste is then applied to the 'ds with a rubber roller as with the positive lates. After the lates are dried in the 8.11 for twenty-four ours they are dipped in sulfuric acid sp. gr. 1.150, then immersed in the asbestos coating suspension of asbestos four parts to water six arts, again dried in the air for twenty-four ours, again dipped in the sulfuric acid sp.

r. 1.150 and then heated for twenty-four ours at 175 F. The forming charge will be about three amperes in a bath of sulfuric acid sp. gr. 1.125.

The positive and negative lates so formed will be assembled 1n a co with the usual separators of wood or hard rubber, and the terminals of the plates of like polarity will be connected together in groups in the usual manner.

In the charging of a battery, electrolyte is usually sulfuric acid sp. gr. 1.350 to 1.360 (corresfimding to about% H,SO,) and when ly charged the electrolyte willbe down to a sp. of about 1.285 (correspondin to about 3 .5% H,SO,.

to the ithaplates prepared accordin composition herein set orth the preferr electrolyte may have a sp. gr. of 1.300 and after char g it will be found that the electrolyte wi remain at substantially the same sp. gr.

It is believed that the increased durability of a battery having plates prepared as set forth is due to the more even distribution of the acid through the cell than has been possible in the methods of preparation heretofore used.

Pasted plates are f uently shipped for considerable distances om the int at which they are given the forming c arge to the lace at which the plates are to be assemble in battery cells. A very considerable percentage of breakage occurs, because of the relative fragile character of the material formed during this primary char e. It has been found that repairs may readi y be made in such plates by usin pastes having the same compositions as fiiose previously described, for either the positive ,or the negative plates, the mixture being made with acid of sp. gr. 1.175, to form a somewhat softer mixture than would be used with new plates. The composition will be pressed intoall crevices and into any holes that may have been left by material falling out, and the surface coating will be made somewhat stiffer than with a new plate, about six parts of asbestos being used with four parts of water. The repaired plates will be dried in the air for about twenty-four hours, dipped in acid of sp. gr. 1.150 and again dri in the air for about four days in the case of positive plates, and about two days in the case of ne ative plates. The repaired plates will not given an additional forming charge before assembly, but after being assembled, a preliminary charge within the cell should be given, using about three amperes current for twenty-four hours, with an electrolyte consisting-of sp. gr. 1.125 acid, after whic the final c arge may be given, using an electrolyte of the usual "strength, sp. gr. 1.300.

I claim 2-- A storage battery element containing a paste having an initial composition of 11tharge eighty-eight to ninety rts, carbon seven parts, asbestos three to ve parts, and sulfuric acid, which when given a forming charge in a sulfuric acid bath of about sp. gr. 1.125 is converted into spongy lead interiiixed with asbestos, carbon, and sulfuric aci In testimony whereof I aflix m signature.

J'UNJIR SATO. 

